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Lady Mounties win SMAC conference
Obituaries .......................... 2 Police Log .......................... 2 Lifestyles ......................... 8A Business .......................... 8A
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Volume 127 • Issue 18 • Wednesday, May 6, 2015
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No increase in property tax in proposed county budget ELIZABETH STEWART lib.kmherald@gmail.com
Nothing is passed and won't be until after a public hearing June 2 but county commissioners took their first look at County Manager Jeff Richardson's proposed $107 million dollar budget Tuesday night and liked what they saw. “We're focusing on employees and services,'' said chairman Jason Falls. Taxpayers won't see any increases in the tax rate. The county's 800 full time em-
ployees will see a 5.4% hike in pay and increased insurance benefits. “We haven't been able to give raises in four years and now we are catching up,'' said
FALLS
RICHARDSON
Two nights remain in LT’s Mary Poppin’s
Falls who said commissioners at their retreat set raises to employees as priority. Falls said that employees struggled through the recession with no cost-of-living increase. He said a salary study found that the county was behind other municipalities in rewarding their employees. Richardson said the county wants to keep its employees and next year has budgeted $35,000 for college assistance, increased employee health insurance on a 80/20 insurance plan
ELIZABETH STEWART lib.kmherald@gmail.com
A magic English nanny comes to work for a cold banker's unhappy family and reconnects a father and mother with their two kids in 'Mary Poppins” which plays for two more nights Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Joy Theatre.
Mary Poppins, played by Jada McDaniel, flies in with her umbrella to help the Banks children ( Alyssa Newton as Jane and Stetson McDaniel as Michael Banks) and they change from very unhappy, unruly children to happy young people but it takes the Super See MARY POPPINS, Page 3A
DAVE BLANTON
A $2.2 million federal grant for the next five years or a total of $11 million dollars has been awarded to the Cleveland County Partnership for Children. The administrative offices are in Kings Mountain at the old Central School building. The Early Head Start program is geared to serve 144 infants and toddlers to age 3 of low income families. The teacher-class ratio will be 4 students to 1 teacher.
Haley Wilson, who served as an intern last year for the City of Kings Mountain, has been tapped to be the city’s new special events coordinator, where she will help organize the Over the Mountain Triathlon, BeachBlast, Gateway Festival, Fourth of July celebrations and other events in town. City officials in the past several months decided to fold the office of special events and public relations into the Main Street Program, which is headed by Jan Harris. “It makes sense because promotion is one of four points of a Main Street program,” said Harris, in explaining the restructuring. The other three main tenets of Main Street are organization, design and economic restructuring. “I’m excited to be work-
ing with Jan,” said Wilson, who worked closely with Ellis Noell last summer during her internship. “Happy to be back with the city of KM. I’m very community-based in my outlook. The role is really about helping to bring quality of life to Kings Mountain.” Noell announced his retirement from the city in March. Wilson, a Fallston native, graduated from N.C. State University last year with a degree in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management. She’s no stranger to event planning, having worked as a volunteer on many city events held in Raleigh. She said she bolstered that experience working under Noell, a seasoned public relations expert and event planner. During her stint with the city in 2014, Wilson was asked to give input on the
Mother's Day some time ago but she remembers that her mother taught her to love children and never mistreat a child. For nearly all of the 39 years that Fonda and John Houze have been married they have nurtured adopted grandchildren. They have four
KM to participate in National Prayer Day Sharon Stack, chairman of the Cleveland County Partnership for Children. Nine new staff members will be hired. and the grant will designate funds to up to eight child care enters in Cleveland County. Several meetings are See CHILD CARE, Page 4A
and Gateway trail, and KM Historical Museum. “We will be maintaining relationships in 29 projects and the big 5 economic development incentive projects are AT&T, Kings Mountain; Clearwater Paper, Shelby; Disney, Kings Mountain; Duke Energy, Shelby; and Southern Power,Kings Mountain. Public safety continues to be a concern of commissioners who asked for $90,000 in building upgrades, $125,000 See NO INCREASE, Page 4A
The city’s new special events coordinator Haley Wilson, at left, is pictured next to Main Street Program director Jan Harris. redesign of the city’s web planning. site and helped the mayor I’m impressed with her design and plan for an ad- level of knowledge and dition to the children’s park her willingness to pitch in that serves children with whenever needed,” Harris disabilities. said. “We’ll be working on After Wilson’s intern- a number of special events ship wrapped up last year, in the coming weeks, inshe found work at Shelby’s cluding the May 7 prayer Earl Scruggs Center, where breakfast, Memorial Day she handled public rela- commemoration and of tions, marketing and event course the Triathlon.”
Mother’s Day is every day for Fonda Houze Mother's Day is every day that Fonda Houze can hug a child. This Sunday many families will observe Mother's Day with their mothers. Others were remember special times with Mom or Maw-Maw. Mrs. Houze's mother died on a Saturday before
Child care program gets $11M grant
tional funds in the budget. Richardson said that workforce development at the community college brings jobs to the county and has been a key priority of commissioners. “This is a well rounded budget,'' said Falls. The county will continue partnerships with Travel Tourism, the LeGrand Center, American Legion World Series, the Shooter complex which is set to open in late fall and a regional draw for the area, Cleveland Chamber, M useum archives, Broad River
Wilson hired as Events Coordinator dave.kmherald@gmail.com
Alyssa Newton, left, as Jane, Stetson McDaniel as Michael Banks. Nick Howell as Bert and Jada McDaniel as Mary Poppins are pictured in a scene from the Kings Mountain Little Theatre play at Joy Theatre. Photo by Nikki Wood
for a total of $400,000 for new benefits including partnership with the YMCA for the second year to stabilize health costs and keep employees healthy. Falls said commissioners set strategic goals, focusing on the employee pay plan, economic development, public safety, community education, customer service outreach and fiscal sustainability. All eight goals are included in budget projections. County schools and Cleveland Community College will be receiving addi-
National Day of Prayer is May 7 and Kings Mountain citizens will join in the observance at noon in front of City Hall. The brief service is sponsored by the Kings Mountain Ministerial Association and will include a welcome by Mayor Rick Murphrey, the pledge of al-
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legiance to the flag, special music and a time of prayer for our nation. The theme is “Lord Hear Our Cry” based on I Kings 8:28. “We invite the community to join with us in prayer for our nation,'' said Rev. Ron Caulder, Ministerial Association president.
grandchildren and two great-grandchildren they adore and over the years they've added more – children who came to Sunday School at People's Baptist Church who needed things the couple could give themwhether it was just a hug and a smile or food and clothing. “We take our vacations with these grandchildren and at least 11 or 12 of them See MOTHER’S DAY, Page 4A
FONDA HOUZE
National motto 'In God We Trust' to go up in front of City Hall The national motto,”In God We Trust,” will soon go up in bronze lettering on the front of Kings Mountain City Hall. By 6-1, City Council Tuesday approved the installation of the motto being paid for and installed by
“Return America” and the US Motto Action committee. The 18-inch $2400 anodized ( dark color) motto will be placed above the second story windows of the main government building. To See NATIONAL MOTTO, Page 4A
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